For a man who insisted that life on the public stage was not what he had in mind, Thomas Jefferson certainly spent a great deal of time in the spotlight, even in his retirement. In his twilight years, Jefferson was already taking on the luster of a national icon, which was polished off by his auspicious death on July 4, 1826. In American Sphinx, Ellis sifts the facts from the legend to find the heart of the man who, at the grass roots, is no longer liberal or conservative, agrarian or industrialist, pro- or anti-slavery, privileged or populist. A man who sang incessantly under his breath; who spent ten hours a day during his presidency at his writing desk; and who sometimes found his political sensibilities colliding with his domestic agenda; who exhibited great depth and great shallowness, combined massive learning with extraordinary naïveté, and should neither be beatified nor forgotten.

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Quotes & Awards

“Lively and provocative…first-rate.”

David McCullough, New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize–winning historian

“[Ellis] is a remarkably clear writer, mercifully free of both the groveling and the spirit of attack that have dominated the subject in the past...American Sphinx is fresh and uncluttered but rich in historical context.”

New York Times Book Review

“Erudite and illuminating…he writes so intelligently…that it’s impossible to read this book and not reconsider Jefferson’s role as a thinker, writer, and politician…An important and highly readable contribution.”

New York Times

“This elegant book on Jefferson sets a standard—history at its best.”

Chicago Tribune, editor’s choice

“Penetrating Jefferson’s placid, elegant façade, this extraordinary biography brings the Sage of Monticello down to earth without either condemning or idolizing him.”

“Ellis does not have an agenda to promote; he has a story to tell, and he tells it well. In a book that reads like fiction, he combines exciting plot turns with information.”

School Library Journal

“The richly documented life of Jeffersonholds endless fascination…This set should be a lasting favorite in popular biography collections, especially in the South. Warmly recommended.”

Library Journal

Winner of the 1997 National Book Award for Nonfiction

Winner of the 1998 Ambassador Book Award for Biography

A 1997 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist

Listener Opinions

Jessica | 2/20/2014

" This book is a solid look at a man who had many facets. I appreciated seeing the good, the bad, and the ugly of a complex person. One downside to this book is 150 pages before the end Jefferson died and the author all the sudden went back...maybe more appropriate to put death at the end instead of suddenly going back. I've never been a Jefferson fan, but it's amazing how many of his flaws have been glossed over. Lately he has become the poster child of modern Republicanism and yet the man died deep in debt and several times required bail outs from friends/governments. He was a hypocrite in so many ways: against slavery, but he couldn't survive without his personal slaves and land-blasted Hamilton for the Treasury that allowed him to purchase what he considered his greatest accomplishment-Louisanna Purchase. Through out his Declaration of Independence and Constitution time he never once gave a public speech of where he stood, he only would work behind the scenes and with many pawns. The first true politician and lobbyist. "

Anita Williamson | 2/3/2014

" I like this author. Good book. "

Laseghi2 | 1/19/2014

" I am a big fan of Ellis' work as an historian and I always enjoy learning of the amalgam that was Thomas Jefferson. Well written. "

Dave | 1/12/2014

" Great read on someone who if he were alive today would have a profound impact on presidential politics. "

Stephanie | 1/6/2014

" Doesn't read as quickly as "John Adams" but an interesting take on the principles and contradictions of Jefferson. "

Arjun Mishra | 1/2/2014

" David McCullough wrote a better Jefferson biography and that was in John Adams. "

Carol | 12/31/2013

" This is a really interesting study of one of the most complicated presidents in our history. I found the book easy to read, hard to put down, and a fair analysis that presented all sides of Jefferson without glorifying him or condemning him either. "

John | 11/27/2013

" A nice in depth historical view into the life of Thomas Jefferson. Identifies his strengths and weaknesses, portraying him in a more human sense as an amazing founding father. Joseph Ellis has an enjoyable writing style. Best biography I've ever read on Jefferson. "

Brandon | 11/11/2013

" I need to re-read this, I've forgotten most of it! "

James | 10/26/2013

" Excellent. Not a typical biography -- Ellis instead picks several key moments of Jefferson's career to show his character and how elusive Jefferson's philosophy is to define. "

Ed Thompson | 10/25/2013

" Likening Jefferson to a sphinx seems appropriate, especially after reading this. At times, his brilliance is astonishing, at other times the hypocrisy is almost overwhelming. You want to reach through, shake him and ask him what the (heck) he was thinking... "

" Not just a biography of Jefferson, but a psychological analysis of our third President, his strengths, weaknesses, and peculiarities. Must read for those interested in our Founders. "

Jim Swike | 2/10/2013

" A truly great read that tells us the real story of Thomas Jefferson. "

Kenny | 9/6/2012

" "American Sphinx" about the psychology of Thomas Jefferson. I liked the description of his divided mind on slavery, his aloofness, sensitivity to criticism, superb writing abilities, and his preference for solitude over oration - all struck a chord "

Jen | 9/1/2012

" Drawn out and boring. "

Nancy Graham | 3/29/2012

" OK, but not my favorite Ellis book. I'm more interested in Jefferson's "renaissance man" qualities and less in his duplicitous political character, which this skims. "

John | 3/23/2012

" Ellis is a great historian, but not nearly as good of a writer as McCullough (or Goodwin)....this is an interesting, if mildly uncaptivating book about one truly mysterious personality. "

Jonfaith | 2/8/2012

" A provocative survey of an enlightenment think and statesman who could never outdistance his contradictions. My friend Mark Prather selected this for samizdat and a number of us read such and with a formality of discussion. "

Lynda | 6/16/2011

" Psychological biographies of the 17th and 18th C. suffer from a totally different mindset as that of the readers. "

Sean | 4/13/2011

" Excellent biography, very approachable/readable. Must read, if you're interested in or curious about Jefferson.
"

Cheri | 3/10/2011

" Ellis has done it again. From the first few pages of the preface, he grabbed me. Love his work....but, I am a Jefferson fan. Can't wait to get into this one!!!!
"

Eric | 2/25/2011

" See my review on 'His Excellency', also by Ellis. I grew increasingly frustrated with Jefferson as I progressed through the book, however.
"

Stephanie | 2/10/2011

" Doesn't read as quickly as "John Adams" but an interesting take on the principles and contradictions of Jefferson.
"

Patrick | 1/22/2011

" Interesting bio on a very complex man. I highly recommend, but will likely read another bio on Jefferson that takes a deeper dive. This one takes the broad brush approach and, for example, leaves out his entire second Presidential term.
"

Louise | 12/28/2010

" Read this book in 1999.
"

Kiddo | 12/9/2010

" No one can survive this book without a crush on my boy, TJ.
"

Duncan | 11/8/2010

" As I said before, I enjoy Ellis's work.
"

Colleen | 10/29/2010

" I'm not sure the author was fair to Jefferson, by apologizing for his seeming hypocrisy, he only serves to highlight it.
An interesting psycholological study, more than a biography
"

Other Titles by Joseph J. Ellis:

About the Author

Joseph J. Ellis is the Ford Foundation Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College. Educated at the College of William and Mary and Yale University, he served as a captain in the army and taught at West Point before coming to Mount Holyoke in 1972. He was dean of the faculty there for ten years. Among his previous books is Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams. He lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts, with his wife, Ellen, and three sons.

About the Narrator

Susan O’Malley (a.k.a. Bernadette Dunne) is the winner of numerous AudioFileEarphones Awards and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award. She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center and off Broadway. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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